Skirted projectiles for railguns
- Livermore, CA
- Pleasanton, CA
A single skirt projectile (20) having an insulating skirt (22) at its rear, or a dual trailing skirt projectile (30, 40, 50, 60) having an insulating skirt (32, 42, 52, 62) succeeded by an arc extinguishing skirt (34, 44, 54, 64), is accelerated by a railgun accelerator 10 having a pair of parallel conducting rails (1a, 1b) which are separated by insulating wall spacers (11). The insulating skirt (22, 32, 42, 52, 62) includes a plasma channel (38). The arc extinguishing skirt (34, 44, 54, 64) interrupts the conduction that occurs in the insulating skirt channel (38) by blocking the plasma arc (3) from conducting current from rail to rail (1a, 1b) at the rear of the projectile (30, 40, 50, 60). The arc extinguishing skirt may be comprised of two plates (36a, 36b) which form a horseshoe wherein the plates are parallel to the rails (1a, b); a chisel-shape design; cross-shaped, or it may be a cylindrical (64). The length of the insulating skirt channel is selected such that there is sufficient plasma in the channel to enable adequate current conduction between the rails (1a, 1b).
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5275083
- OSTI ID:
- 869105
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
projectiles
railguns
single
skirt
projectile
20
insulating
22
rear
dual
trailing
30
40
50
60
32
42
52
62
succeeded
extinguishing
34
44
54
64
accelerated
railgun
accelerator
10
pair
parallel
conducting
rails
1a
1b
separated
wall
spacers
11
plasma
channel
38
interrupts
conduction
occurs
blocking
current
rail
comprised
plates
36a
36b
form
horseshoe
chisel-shape
design
cross-shaped
cylindrical
length
selected
sufficient
enable
adequate
plasma channel
railgun accelerator
insulating skirt
conducting current
current conduction
skirt projectile
parallel conducting
/89/102/124/